Until Next Time Little Blossom
by Scruffychick
Summary: She'd fallen hard in combat, and struggled to carry on. In the dark distance three pairs of eyes were watching, one pair with more than curiosity attracting him to her. Upon rescue, a close up of her fragile frame makes Pein know that he must see her again... No, he will see her again, he'll make sure of that. Please, please rate and review!
1. Chapter 1

Update- I've had a few requests to continue!

Just a quick story… Was a little bored and felt creative so here you go.

Please Rate and Review.

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 **Chapter 1 - A Sorry Sight...**

She wandered slowly, clutching her painful side. Each agonizing step she took would make her knees buckle, her blisters more soar… Her whole body ache even more. She'd been on a retrieval mission, to retrieve a scroll from the sand. Unfortunately due to the shortage of free shinobi, she had been alone; Tsunade didn't see a problem, usually lone shinobi would carry out their mission without sparking interests of rival or enemy shinobi.

During her journey back to the leaf,she'd run into team Hebi, she held her ground and fought until she could barely stand; she'd defeated Karin, and left Suigetsu and Juugo unconscious, Sasuke on the other hand, she could not bring herself to fight, even with each slash of his blade, each punch of his fist and each bone shattering blow of his legs, she could not bring herself to retaliate… He saw her as a sport… When she finally fell, taking weak breaths Sasuke stared at her, before smirking and leaving her for dead, carrying the rest of his broken team with him.

She'd laid still for a while, her body felt overwhelmed, exhausted… Numb… That was until she managed to pull herself up onto all fours, she used the small amount of chakra she had left to clot the deeper wounds she had sustained, and stop the bleeding. Her pale hand gripped a low hanging branch of a tree, which she used for leverage as she stammered to her feet. Her vision was entirely blurred, it was scary infact, being unable to see more than a few feet in front of you. That was when her feet blindly began to walk further and further into the woodland, she was unconsciously walking, blindly looking for shelter. She was so exhausted, she hadn't even noted the three shinobi that were trailing dangerously close behind her…

Step… Step… Stumble… Stand… Step… Step… Fall… Her knees finally succumbed to the merciless battering that her entire body had taken. She laid silently on the leafy ground, her eyes were staring into a deep abyss of nothing. Meanwhile, the trailing shinobi stopped dead in their tracks, silently staring directly down at the pinkette, from the tree pew. Pein sighed, quietly glancing at a masked ninja, wearing the same attire as himself and the other follower.

They'd seen it all, it was Madara's idea to spy on Team Hebi's mission, the appearance of a lone leaf ninja was totally unforeseen. Nonetheless, they watched from a distance as she took down three of the team singlehandedly, which sparked their curiosity, and when they saw her falter to Sasuke however, their curiosity grew even more. When Sasuke and his team left, they watched her a little longer, while enjoying their skewered fish, it shocked them when she got up and wandered -well, stammered; away. Which brings us to the present…

As she laid their almost entirely motionless, with the exception of her chest fridgidly moving up and down through each gargled breath, three sets of eyes stared down with uncertainty. Finally they watched as the green gems she possessed closed, and didn't reopen. Madara was the first to descend, followed by an awe-struck Pein and Kakuzu. They landed beside her with a thump which would awaken most shinobi, but not her. She was entirely out of it. Kakuzu nudged her arm gently with his foot, as to try and disturb her from her unwilling slumber. There was no avail in his efforts. Patter… Patter… Patter… The skies opened up and the heavy pouring of rain covered everything in its path. Madara sighed running a hand through his hair as he spoke,

"We must find shelter, our detour means we will no longer be able to track team Hebi, when the rain has stopped, we'll head home".

Pein couldn't take his ringed eyes off of the now blue-lipped fallen ninja that laid motionless before the group.

"And what of her?" Pein glanced up lazily and briefly toward the ninja beside him, before returning his gaze to her.

"It would be an awful shame to have watched her and follow her this far to just leave her for dead…" Kakuzu spoke with slight unease, he was in the presence of his leader... leaders?

"Right…" Madara spoke softly, "you're right, bring her". As he barked the order Kakuzu picked her up and flung her over his shoulder. Pein flinched at how carelessly she was being handled.

The three, well four… then embarked on a small journey, until they found a cave. Madara used his fire style to create a source of light and warmth, whilst Kakuzu used his unique abilities to stitch up her wounds. Pein stared silently, until Kakuzu finished. Madara then set to work with bandaging wherever Kakuzu had stitched. When she was as patched up as she could be, the three gentlemen sat around the fire, watching her sleep.

"She is quite the skilled shinobi, don't you think?" Kakuzu was the first to speak.

"Mhm…" Pein droned.

"She would make quite the addition to the Akatsuki, don't you think?" Madara stared at Pein, waiting for an answer, the man however seemed distracted, engrossed in watching her sleep.

"Pein…" Madara twitched.

"Hm? Uh, yes. She would, however I do not believe she would come willingly, and Sasuke would probably be hell-bent on finishing her off". Pein glanced at his team mates.

"That is true" Kakuzu sighed,

"Well, we will just have to wait and see as to whether Sasuke is truly loyal to the Akatsuki, if he isn't… then at least we have a possible replacement lined up". The three nodded, and sat in silence until each of them drifted off to sleep.

The following morning, Madara restocked the fire and the three prepared to head off. Kakuzu left early, he wanted to get to work on a bounty hunting mission as soon as possible. Madara and Pein stayed and ate their breakfast. Afterwards they stood at the mouth of the cave ready to set off. Madara had watched Pein's behaviour, it was exactly the same as usual, except for one slight thing… He seemed truly interested in something… Well, not some-thing, more like some-one. He smirked beneath his mask, ' _This could indeed become interesting'_ he thought silently.

"I'm heading off now, see you at the hideout" Madara quirked as he began to fade into a black abyss until he'd disappeared. Pein wandered over to the still unconscious young lady…

What was it that made him so intrigued by her? He didn't know. What he did know was that this would not be the last he saw of her. He would ensure that. He slipped his famous clouded cloak off, and laid it over her resting body.

"Until next time little blossom…" he sighed, before heading out.

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Please rate and review! It's so encouraging when you guys tell me what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

I decided to continue this because of the very kind reviews I got from the first chapter, again I would like to thank Connie Jean, Beliee, TheSakuraCherryBlossom1998 and Dray86 for their kind words, this chapter is dedicated to you guys and my lovely followers.

 **YOUNGER READERS** : Please beware that there will be some _moderate_ language in this chapter.

Here we go!

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 **Chapter 2 - What on Earth?!**

Pein shivered, the rain had stopped but the bitter chill was ever present in the air. His toned arms were decorated with goosebumps. He'd been traveling all morning now, he'd even passed the scene where he first laid eyes on the curious girl he'd taken such an interest in. As he cut through the woodland, each step nagged at him a little more. He wanted to turn around, go back to that damp cave and watch the sleeping beauty just for a little while longer, her peaceful face was imprinted on his mind, why was that?...

"Crap-!" He missed the branch he was aiming to land on, as he fell his hands desperately reached out to grab ahold of anything. Swipe… Fling... Every second of his fall greeted him with another unwelcoming thrash of a tree branch, until his fingers clung hard onto a sturdy stem. He heaved himself up and glanced down. He managed to stop his fall a mere meter from the ground. He sighed and lept to the floor, running his cold digits through his windswept, fire coloured hair.

"Well, that was entertaining..." A familiar voice greeted him. A voice he knew all too well, he turned around, standing elegantly behind him was the ever so calm Konan.

"Tch…" Pein steadied himself, brushing the tree's debris off of his now grazed clothing.

"Come along, Madara is back at the hideout. He seems a little on edge, he's called a meeting with you and told me to fetch you back as quickly as possible. Apparently it has something to do about that younger Uchiha" Konan started to walk, brushing past him without glancing back, Pein sighed and followed her. A distraction is exactly what he needed right now.

* * *

Slowly, beautifully set eyes of forest fern green began to open. She felt stiff, but… warm?

"Ngh…" she moaned as she was greeted with the reminder of her previous battle. Sitting up her glazed eyes cautiously took in their surroundings, it was dim in the cave. The mildew from the morning caused all of the cave's nooks and crevices to glitter wildly. Her eyes then scanned to the center of her surroundings, there was a fire? ' _Oh Kami, what on Earth happened? Where am I? What time is it?! Wait, what day is it?!'_ Sakura thought in silence, her fingers began to nervously fiddle with a fabric that was now sprawled across her lap. It didn't feel like her usual clothes, this material felt like a mixture of silk and nylon… Her eyes left the glow of the fire and set their gaze down onto the foreign cloth laying over her.

"What the hell?!" She shrieked out loud, she stood as quickly as she could, glaring down at the familiar red swirling cloud. ' _No… No way…'_ She thought silently, ' _ **Oh yes way, it seems your knight in shining armor was actually in a silk lined, nylon cloak'**_ her inner teased her.

Sakura couldn't help but stare; she felt nauseous, had her enemy… rescued her?! No, no way, this was definitely just a coincidence, one of the Akatsuki members must have lost their cloak and some poor stranger had picked it up and was using it as a source of warmth… Or at least that is what she took comfort in telling herself.

Her feet began to lead the way to the fire, set neatly beside it, folded in a cloth was a chunk of bread and some already cooked fish. Her stomach growled loud, she knew better than to eat food from an unknown source, but she also knew if she wanted her strength back, she would need to have a source of energy… Without another thought she wolfed down the food as quickly as she could.

* * *

"So it's true…" Kisame spoke with a hint of humour to his voice,

"Yes, Sasuke has infact betrayed the Akatsuki, he has returned to _Lord_ Orochimaru" Pein spoke, sarcastically emphasising the word 'Lord'.

Before the meeting with the whole organisation, Madara had informed Pein of the information. Only a few knew that Madara was actually leading Pein, namely Zetsu, Kakuzu, Pein and Konan. The rest were lead to believe that Pein was the master puppeteer holding all of the strings.

"I knew that Sasuke was a rotten boy! Didn't I tell you Deidara?!" _Tobi_ exclaimed excitedly… He had to keep up his facade after all. Deidara merely brushed the statement off.

"I thought he killed the basta-" Hidan butted in, only to be cut off mid-word by Pein.

"He did, however it appears that Kabuto has successfully reanimated Orochimaru's body. Thus, he is alive". The purple ringed eyes set hard on the group before him; "We must find a replacement for the Akatsuki's loss…"

* * *

Sakura stared long and hard at the intimidating cloak, there was no way that a member of the Akatsuki had taken pity on her and rescued her from her untimely demise… She sighed lightly, taking a piece of paper and a inked fueled quill from her pouch and began to scrawl:

 _'Thank you, for taking me in and leaving me food. I greatly appreciate your kindness, and I take comfort that there are still good people in this confusing world…_

 _I would like to inform you that your stitching skills are impeccable! Perhaps you should look at a job in the medical field, if you're not already employed as a medic._

 _Anyhow, thank you again for your kindness, but let me warn you to dispose of that cloak. It belongs to an organisation so dangerously evil that all leaf and sand shinobi have been warned to kill any members at first sight. I would hate for a kind person such as yourself to suffer such a tragic end._

 _Thank you again,_

 _Haruno Sakura.'_

Unknowingly to her, her rescuers had long gone… and were in actual fact members of the evil organisation she had written of. She placed a stone over the corner of the note, in front of the fire so that it wouldn't blow away. She would hate for her rescuer to think she was ungrateful. Her frail grazed hands tied her pink locks into a tight pony tail, each soar step she took lead her to the mouth of the cave, that merely hours ago three of the most dangerous men she could ever imagine, had been standing in. Her bruised lungs inhaled the chilling air, soothing them ever so slightly.

"Homeward bound…" She sighed to herself… "Wait, which way is home?!" A panicked feeling filled the pit of her stomach, she had absolutely no clue as to where she was. "Oh well, I'm not getting any-where by just standing here and worrying. Let's go feet" She told herself, and with that she headed out, once again blind as to where she was going.

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"So, you're telling me that I have to go find some pink haired kunoichi of the leaf, and you have no idea what her name is?!" Deidara growled. "How on Earth can I track her down without a name?!"

Pein stared at him, without a care in the world; "Yes, that is indeed what I want you to do, Deidara; as I stated earlier, I came across her fighting Team Hebi yesterday afternoon, and I left her in a sorry state within a cave to the East of the woodlands, just follow the river and you'll find it. I doubt she'd even be awake now. She will still be there I'm sure; if not however I'm more than sure that pink haired kunoichi are very rare, I doubt it will be hard to track her down. Tobi will accompany you".

"What?! Why do I have to do this with _him_ ; of all the members here -un?!"

"Wow Deidara, your words can really hurt some-times, you know?" Tobi whined. The rest of the Akatsuki stared, amused at the scene unraveling before them.

After the argument had persisted, and Pein of course ended it; he sent the duo on their way. After dismissing the rest of the members back to their daily duties he sighed and wandered to the bathroom, intent on freshening up before continuing with his day. It was embarrassing to present himself to the rest of _his_ organisation in the state he was. As he wandered he came across a pile of paper scattered across the hallway. Rolling his tired eyes he rubbed his hand across his forehead "What do you want Konan?..." He groaned.

Papers began to fly about the corridor, each one piling up until Konan's form stood before him;

"Tell me, why did you rescue the girl?..."

' _Here we go…'_ He thought to himself before he inhaled deeply, ready for the disapproval to come.

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So there you go, why is Sakura haunting the formidable ninja's mind? Will Deidara and Tobi succeed in their mission? Where will Sakura end up? Home to her beloved Konoha or in an entirely new home?

 **Please review! I find it very encouraging to hear your opinions.**


	3. Chapter 3

_I find it a great comfort that you found my little commemoration for the legend, David Bowie. Well done, Connie Jean!_

I told you all the next chapter would be up **very** soon! Here you are!

Please do no forget to **review** and tell me what your thoughts are, and what you would like to happen!

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 **Chapter 3 - Mission is a go.**

Sakura's legs were already growing weary, she'd only been travelling for an hour. She began to drop down to the autumn decorated, leafy floor that housed the magnificent trunks of the age old trees. When she landed, her knees buckled and the kunoichi doubled over in pain. Panting, she crawled to the base of one of the relic trees and leant against it, using the opportunity to snatch a few breaths. Her eyes gazed down to her shirt, it was sticky… Her delicate fingers lifted her shirt, and to her surprise the large slash that Sasuke had given her was bandaged up, although the bandaging was shockingly bad. She didn't complain after all, the kindness bestowed upon her was more than appreciated. She unwrapped the blood stained bindings and stared as closely as she could at the large wound. It was all stitched up… Well, mostly. The last four stitches had tore, leaving the left of her wound open. She sighed, bringing her hand to rest lightly over the bloody cut. An ocean green aura surrounded her hand, and engulfed the area that had reopened.

"Just focus of clotting it Sakura…" She told herself quietly as she took a few slower, deeper breaths. ' _Surely there is a village or something around this area. When I get there I will rest and patch myself up properly…'_ She thought to herself. Staring ahead of her she noticed the gentle flow of a river before her. It was common knowledge that where there was water, there was people… All she had to do was follow the river… But first, maybe a small nap was in order… At least that is what her body was telling her, to which she willingly obliged.

Meanwhile, flying high above the tree canopy was a blond haired ninja, using his device covering his left eye. The clay bird flapped its wings every so often with one powerful swing. Tobi sat on the birds back, tapping it impatiently. They'd been following the river that Pein had instructed them to, and having an aerial view gave them the advantage of a view over a large area. Deidara's scope clicked, zooming into a shadowy area, consisting of rock beside the river.

"Found it!" He smirked, chuffed at his own work.

"Pfft, took you long enough" a slightly sick Tobi groaned.

"Shut up! I could've made you walk! That would have taken much longer!" Deidara argued, not facing his partner. Instead he began to descend the bird and flawlessly landed it outside of the cave without a sound.

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Pein stared at the golden eyes that faced him, they were glaring at him with reserved disapproval. The pair had been in a heated discussion in the same hallway for the past hour. Konan knew there was more to this kunoichi than Pein was letting on, she'd tried hard to dig deeper and cause her team member to divulge the hidden mystery, but to no avail. Pein exhaled somberly. This whole discussion was ridiculous in his view, he was the leader and his followers had no right to question him.

"That is it, we require her for her fighting capabilities… Much like you have your abilities, she has her own. Hers include monstrous strength and a logical mind capable of planning ahead even when she's in combat… And I'm sure she has more abilities that we're yet to discover. There is a possibility that she is a medical ninja as well… We caught sight of her healing her own wounds with what little chakra she had left". Konan felt a twinge of jealousy as Pein boasted this strangers' abilities to her. ' _I know there's more to this… And I will find out…'_ she thought silently. Pein had clearly ended the discussion and she felt no reason to continue this any longer than they already had. Her body began to pierce, tear, fold and flicker apart. She'd turned into a swarm of butterflies before his eyes, plain but pretty. Pein watched silently as she fluttered away out of view.

"Finally…" he groaned to no one in particular. His barefeet dragged lazily across the floor and into the bathroom.

It was plain, much like a regular bathroom found within most common households. He turned the tap until water began to flow soothingly from the shower head. After he adjusted the temperature he stripped down. His left foot lead the way into the waters path, followed by the rest of him. The temperature was warm, soothing to his grazed body and settling to his still partially chilled bones. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the massaging spray of the shower head beat against his skin. The water engulfed him, covering the pale man with a warm coating. He loved showers, they reminded him of the rain… Of home…

The tall man reached for the soap and began to scrub. He couldn't waste anymore time today… He had arrangements to make, paperwork to catch up on, missions to research and assign… Spies to converse with… The list was overwhelming and it must already be late in the afternoon... Once he was satisfied of his cleanliness he stepped out, tying his towel around his midriff. He wandered out of the bathroom and to his quarters. After he was dried and dressed in his usual attire, with a brand new cloak; he found himself taking his usual walk directly from his room to his office… He had allot to catch up on it seemed.

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Deidara dismounted his magnificent creation, he decided not to explode it just yet… Instead once this whole shenanigan was over, then he would explode it. The blond haired man quietly stepped to the cave entrance. If the kunoichi was in there, he didn't want to wake her up. Each step he took was carefully thought out, to avoid stepping on sticks, or accidentally kicking a pebble. Everything he did was in the hope that he would remain entirely discreet. Tobi on the other hand totally blew Deidara's plan. He jumped from the back of the bird and landed noisily on the pebbled edge of the river. The grown man with blond hair simply twitched… ' _So much for the quiet approach…'_ he sighed. The man no longer cared about his noise as he walked into the cave; if she was going to wake up then she would have most certainly have awoken to Tobi's racket.

The cave itself wasn't particularly large, it didn't stretch more than a few meters underground. In the centre Deidara saw the small embers of the camp fire struggling for their life. Beside the dying pit, was a small cloth accompanied with some crumbs… Deidara knew what this meant. She was awake… And this had now turned from a simple retrieval mission into a _search_ and retrieve.

"Deidara! Look, look at this!" Tobi exclaimed excitedly, passing the beautifully written note. Deidara read it quietly with a sinister smirk coating his plain lips.

"Evil hm? Well, that's not a very nice thing to say about your… rescuers" Deidara hummed, he pocketed the note and picked up the abandoned cloak. He could smell her? Her scent was floral, sweet but at the same time he could smell iron… There was blood on this cloak, he knew she couldn't have gotten far and wanted to ensure she wouldn't run any further. He wandered back out of the cave.

"Tobi, you search from the ground, I'll search from above. I want this kunoichi found quickly. When you find her, send a flare up; understood?" He didn't wait for a reply from the masked man, instead he took off on the clay bird.

"But wait Deidara! What if I cannot find her?!"... No reply. The man sighed and headed out.

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Pein sat, listening to the ramblings of his spies. They were divulging critical political information… Information they'd worked hard to obtain… But he wasn't taking any of it in. He was not interested. Not in this matter at all. He stood up, making one of the two spies jump, and cutting them off mid sentence.

"That is all gentlemen". He stated.

"W-what? That's not even the half of it!" The lead spy argued, raising his voice.

"That. Will. Be. All." Peins words sounded menacing. The spies halted their protest and then proceeded to swiftly exit the room.

After the door clicked shut, Pein wandered to the window. The early evening sun was setting, the sky boasted a dramatic spectacle of colours, but he didn't care. There was only one thought on his mind… her.

What would he say? What would he do? Why couldn't she leave his mind? Why did he feel so giddy at the thought of learning even the most basic of things… such as her name. He didn't know…

"Soon, little kunoichi… Soon" He smirked, watching the sun set. ' _Deidara and Tobi should have her now..._ ' Or so he thought.

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 **There you have it!**

 **Please review it!**


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you very much to all of my followers, favourite-ers and reviewers! You're all so very encouraging.

I would like to apologise for the wait; here you go. Please let me know what you want to happen!

Enjoy!

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 **Chapter 4 - Impatience**

Pein lay restless in his bed, they should have arrived back by now… What was keeping them?! His thin hands ran through his hair, catching slightly at small tangles. He sighed and sat up, he'd been restless since he had met her… the reason as to why alluded him. He'd met plenty of kunoichi before, he even worked with one! Why was it that this kunoichi kept circling his mind?

The man stood up, his bare feet frigidly greeted the cold wooden floor, and guided him to the window. Staring out he noted that the sky was particularly clear this evening, each star glistened, beaming their bright beauty down upon the Earth. As his tired eyes got lost in a sea of stars, his mind quietened, as though allowing him this precious moment in silence… Something caught his eye, they immediately darted over to stare at it… A large white bird, that was abnormally huge even at the distance it was at…

"Deidara…" The sleepy man sighed. His mind remained silent for a moment, until as though a switch had been flicked, he suddenly remembered the Kunoichi. His heart had a momentary rush. ' _She's here'_ he thought in nervous anticipation.

The blond haired man began to lower the bird, in front of the entrance to the base. Pein wandered down the corridors of the hideout in nothing but his trousers and cloak… Which was fastened up to give the illusion of his effort to dress. As he pushed the door open, he was greeted to Tobi, squealing as the clay birds claw dropped him meters from the ground. Ringed eyes watched as the masked man impacted the floor and rolled until his sudden stop, in which he laid face down on the grass for a second before bouncing to his feet and yelling insults toward Deidara, who had gracefully landed the bird.

Pein stared at the two?...

"Well?" He spoke the word with little interest or emotion.

"Well this idiot got lost after walking the wrong way whilst following the river!" Deidara snapped; after dismounting his bird he continued… "The search started off fine, until this loser fired his flare, which I thought meant he had found the brat-un… I raced to his location to be greeted with ' _Oh hey Deidara! It was getting late and I was hungry so can you give me a lift back to the base please?'_ So I gave him a lift alright-un!" Pein lowered his head to face the ground for a moment, silently containing his disappointment. After returning his gaze back to the pair now stood in front of him he quietly spoke.

"So I am to take it, that you failed your mission?"

"Yeah-un, thanks to him…" Deidara kept his voice low, his leader did not appear to be in any type of mood to argue with. Tobi stayed silent, also picking up on his 'superiors' disapproval. The blonde haired man quickly remembered the note he -or rather Tobi, had found in the cave, and reached in his pocket to retrieve it.

"Here... we found this." Pein took the note and placed it in his pocket.

The taller man then, inhaled softly, staring in momentary silence before speaking once more.

"Very well… Get inside and rest". He turned on his bare feet and wandered away into the shadows of the hallway. Tobi and Deidara stared at each other in confusion… There was no punishment? No telling off? What on Earth? However, without any arguments the pair did as they were told.

* * *

Sakura remained where she had been all the time; until in the dead of night the chill of the frost bitten air awoke her. She had to admit the long rest had done her the world of good, she felt allot better… However, now she was alone, injured and in the dark in an unfamiliar place… Sighing she bought herself to her less achy feet. She remembered her previous thoughts, to track the river and hopefully find someone along the way, and decided that was the best plan she could think of.

As she wandered through the night, she stayed close to the water's edge, occasionally stopping to refresh her face, or rub some cool water on her sore wounds and muscles. The young kunoichi walked slowly, treading carefully the entire night. As she finally took her last break before she reached the edge of the forest she had been lost in, she took a moment to stare up at the sky… Her eyes laid gently upon the spectacle of the dim morning glow of the orange orb, which was already warming up the world around her. The sky bordered the sun with a beautiful array of sparse clouds, each coloured in deep purples and oranges. It wasn't often the woman was able to watch the sunrise, but when she could she always thought that it was the best form of natural art.

The frail legs began to walk again, she set herself a tired goal of reaching the edge of the forest before she could nap. That was all she needed to do… ' _Just… a few more meters_ ' she thought drowsily, but as much as she tried, once again her body faltered. She fell with a slight thud to the ground then, she clocked them… Something she had failed to observe when she was standing… Footprints, and plenty of them. Fresh footprints… ' _Oh thank god.._ ' She sighed quietly, her arms outstretched and her fingers weakly gripped long tendrils of grass as she pulled herself to a less muddy, more grassy patch; which looked allot more comfortable. The patch was free of the tree canopy, which allowed the morning warmth to glow on her, warming her up as she slept once again.

* * *

Pein had not slept a wink that night, and had totally forgotten about the note during his disappointment. As soon as the sun rose, he was washed, dressed, fed and ready to face the day. It started off as it usually would, he would brief his members of their assignments and missions and then dismiss them, they would then leave to perform their assigned duties. Once everyone was clear with what was set for their agenda, Pein grabbed his shoes and his cloak, and prepped himself with weapons. ' _It seems I must do everything myself…_ ' he quietly contemplated as he pouched one final kunai.

"Where are you going? I thought you had a meeting with a spy?" Konan queried, she too was about to head out on her assignment, Pein usually always briefed her on what he was going to do…

"I'm heading out for a bit Konan". The man spoke carefully.

"No-one will be at the base? What if an intruder finds it?" Konan's eyes were as stone cold as they always were.

"Hidan and Kakuzu will not take long to complete their mission; besides I will not be gone for long, I'm simply retrieving something…"

"Very well…" Konan sighed, before turning her back on the man and heading out.

The man wandered through the large clearing between the two neighboring forests. He walked following the river upstream, he was determined to find the curious girl. As he reached the edge of the East Woodlands. His legs pressed powerfully against the ground, flinging him high up onto the branch of a scrawny looking tree. His mind silenced as he began to jump from one branch to another. Merely meters in, he began to curve around a small clearing, the sun was shining down through the hole in the canopy, illuminating some of the forest floor. As he took another leap, a bright colour caught his eye… A bright familiar colour… The man stopped dead in his tracks, on a branch beside the clearing. He took a slight breath, and hesitantly turned around.

There she was… The tiny kunoichi that had attracted his curiosity… That had been a permanent fixture in his mind… That had slightly worried him… She was laying in the centre of the clearing, the muddy, trodden down path that members of the Akatsuki regularly took was right beside her… If Tobi had walked back he would have found her… She had been so close all along.

His eyes stared at her, she looked peaceful… All he wanted to do was watch her… There was something entrancing about her, but he could not leave the tiny pinkette here… Not in the messy state she was in… She needed help, and he would be it.

 **-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.**

Let me know what you think! So what will happen? Until next time!


	5. Chapter 5

Of course that is not a problem C.J! I hope I portray him, in a manner that you will like.

Here we go.

* * *

 **Chapter 5 - Emerald, meet Amethyst**

His gentle arms scooped under the girl's legs and shoulders and picked her up effortlessly. As he stood tall staring down at the fragile frame he held in his arms, he couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of anger, circulating in the pit of his stomach… How could Sasuke have done this to her? And why did she not fight back? His thoughts momentarily paused as he watched her chest rise and fall sharply as she huffed in her sleep. Pein wanted to smile, and he probably would have, if he did not know of the hidden presence situated in the tree behind him.

"You can come out now…" Pein spoke in a calm, blunt tone as he raised his eyes. The bark of the tree began to morph in a rapid fashion, turning into black and white flesh; surrounded by large venus leaves. One foot thudded to the forest floor, followed by the other.

"Hello!" The less sinister, more friendly side of the man exclaimed excitedly, whilst the other side simply grunted.

"What are you doing here? Why are you not on your mission?" Pein's tone had not changed, and the cold stare was also a permanent fixture.

"Planning lunch…" The dark side sneered. Inwardly Pein grimaced at the thought, if he'd been a few minutes later...

"Oh?" An orange eyebrow raised,

"Yes!" The white side once again exclaimed with cheer; "I said we should just get it over with and get on with the mission, but he always enjoys a challenge… He was waiting for her to wake up so he could play with the food"

"And it did not occur to you that this was the kunoichi I specifically tasked Deidara and Tobi to obtain?... Alive… As the potential replacement for the Uchiha traitor?"

The odd man stood, one side bestowing an apologetic look; the other side displaying a slightly defensive snarl.

"How was I to know this puny runt was to be the replacement?"

Pein sighed, he knew there was little point with arguing with Zetsu when it related to potential meals; instead his eyes hardened into an authoritative glare.

"Go and complete your mission".

"Fine." The same irritated mouth spoke, and within moments they disappeared into the ground; the last part to disappear was a strong white arm, waving.

After watching the creature disappear, Pein refocused his attention on the girl in his arms. He pushed the thoughts of ' _What if…_ ' out of his mind, and instead focused on getting her back to the base as swiftly as he could. During the very short journey she never even made so much as a peap. Little did the man know that Konan was watching with weary eyes from a distance as she saw her lifetime comrade carry a petite frame in his arms. Once they arrived he softly placed her on the medical room's table, Pein sighed -his medical experience was limited, he knew the basics however he was clueless as to how to treat such an extent of injuries.

* * *

Time had passed since he had located and retrieved her, one by one he could sense the presence of the Akatsuki members returning. It was strange, their presences felt tainted, heavy, impure and dark; yet the girl before him… She felt light, warm and delicate. The man ran his hands under the cool water of the tap, washing the remnants of blood from them. He'd spent the hours cleaning and stitching her wounds to the best of his ability. He had applied ointment to each of the larger ones and bandaged her up; the poor girl almost looked like a stereotypical mummy; but it was better than nothing.

He reached for the towel and roughly dried his hands.

"Mission accomplished I see un…" Tired eyes glanced up seeing the blonde man frowning.

"Are you sure _she_ is a worthy adversary of the Akatsuki, hm?"

"As I have already told you, Deidara… She has many skills which would benefit the Akatsuki. She will come in most useful when she has recovered". The blond man shot him a questioning glare, but before he could say anything a very frenzied Tobi shoved passed him and grabbed the medical box. Konan followed suit. Pein was watching, anyone would have believed that the masked man was in dire need of medical treatment…

"Calm down you fool" Konan hissed.

"No! How could you?!" Tobi whined, pulling a small plaster from its packet.

"Whoa, whoa… What happened to you hm?" Deidara grinned with a large amount of amused curiosity lacing his eyes.

"He was pranking around…" The blue haired female sighed unenthusiastically.

"So?! There's no need to give me a papercut!" Tobi cried out, squeezing the plaster firmly around his pinky.

' _Pathetic'_ Pein sighed, his eyes returned to the sleeping lady before him… Was he really going to bring such a pure creature into the life of the Akatsuki? ' _Perhaps I made the wrong choice…'_

Konan stared at the poor bandaging enveloping the girl...

"I'll sort her out." She falsely smiled.

"What?" Pein replied with melancholy.

"She cannot rest like that… She's a state! I'll go and wash her, then patch her up properly…" Before Pein had chance to reply, he watched as his new found curiosity was hurled over the equally petite blue haired woman's shoulder.

After Konan had freed the poor girl from the knots of bandaging, she washed her and redressed her wounds. After admiring her work compared to her leader's she dressed the girl in clean clothes.

"What is it about you…?" She questioned out loud to the slumbering girl before her.

* * *

Pein was sat silently in the dim lit room, also known as his office. His eyes were glued to papers, information about various ninja and villages; the man's concentration was disturbed when he heard heavy footsteps outside of his office. He stared with irritation through the doorway and watched as Konan carried the girl. She didn't stop or even glance at her leader, she simply passed without any acknowledgement visible. Pein sighed, and shrugged his cloak off, the note simply floated to the floor. His skinny fingers picked it up, and entranced eyes read it…

His stomach felt slightly heavy afterwards however… He hated how the world around him perceived the Akatsuki… They were after peace, and the only people brave enough to actively pursue it was his group of ' _rogue ninja'_. One day they would all bow to them, every village, every citizen… everything and everyone and they would thank the Akatsuki for freeing them from their bond of hatred… They would worship him… And he would be the God of the new world… The world of Peace. He glanced down at his hand; unconsciously he had crushed the note. Standing up he threw it in the bin and proceeded down the corridor until he found an otherwise unoccupied room, with its light on and the door ajar. He stepped in and saw that Konan had laid his new Akatsuki member on the desk as she had made the bed with fresh sheets. Konan turned and jumped as she saw Pein was already behind her, with the sleeping beauty in his arms.

"Sorry…" She sighed and stepped out of the way, Pein set the girl down and gently pulled the sheets over her.

"I'm sure dinner will be ready soon, I'll meet you then" Konan spoke quietly, her voice trailed off as she left the pair.

Sakura whimpered in her sleep, although she was unconscious she appeared to feel much more comfortable than she had done. Stirring she slowly began to fidget as she started to awaken. Pein stepped back, although he wanted to help the girl and wished her no further harm; he still knew that she was a ninja who was most likely a very skilled opponent.

Slowly the emerald eyes fluttered open, they were glassy and dull. Pein retreated a little further, he stood in the shadows watching her with both interest and caution. The emerald eyes finally opened and began to vigorously scan the room, she tried to sit up only causing her to groan in pain and immediately lay back down again. Pein watched as she seemed to calm down, her eyes were relaxing and her body was slowly following suit; although this was short lived.

Her eyes scanned across towards an open doorway, and stood within it was a tall man; cloaked with shadow… However he harnessed bright eyes, bright familiar eyes… Ringed eyes that she knew about all too well… She had the bingo book to thank for that. For the first time, the real amethyst coloured eyes, met the real emerald eyes… One pair looked calm… The other pair starred with extreme terror evident in them. The moment was brief, as Pein heard footsteps wandering toward him, he stepped out of the room and closed the door; neither of their stares broke; until the door separated them.

* * *

Would you like me to continue or end it soon? Please let me know.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 - First Encounters...**

Pein paced his room. The girl he had watched, he had grown curious over and even oddly attracted to; was terrified of him. When their eyes connected, something deep within him wished that she would accept him straight away… ' _Wishful thinking…'_ the man frowned. He shrugged off his clouded cloak and stared at it for a moment. He was frustrated, the cloud was supposed to symbolise justice… That is all he and ever wanted to bring to the world, justice in the form of peace… But in the eyes of those he was trying to help, the cloud symbolised danger…

He sighed and laid back on his bed, his chest rose and fell restlessly. Why was this girl circling his mind? What was it that was so striking about her? His thoughts were soon interrupted by a harsh knock on the door. The tall man sat up and stared in utter silence as the intruder let them-self in.

"You're still awake, good", Tobi spoke. His voice was not the common cheerful and playful timbre; but instead a careful and low manner.

"What is it that you want, Madara?" Pein spoke the other man's name freely; he knew none of the other members were near, he couldn't sense any of them.

"I know you want this girl to be the replacement of that Uchiha child; but tell me… What is the real purpose of her being here?" The masked man was no fool, he could tell that Pein was acting unusual.

"To replace Sasuke, of course" The fire haired ninja replied in a monochrome tone.

"Oh really?" Madara spoke, Pein could almost visualise the smirk on this sly Uchiha's mouth, from his manner of speaking.

The pair fell silent. Pein stared indifferently at the man standing in his doorway.

"Tell me, what is it that you want… This late at night?" The Rinnegan wielder stood, stepping toward the elder man.

"To inform you, or rather… To remind you that before she can 'join' the Akatsuki, she must first pass the test. She must battle another member and prove her worth. Or have you forgotten?"

"I have not forgotten, Madara; but tell me, have you not seen the state of her? She has barely awoken and yet you're already pressing me about her" Pein's tone had not changed, it remained sincere and honest. The masked man enjoyed winding up the other holder of a visual prowess; however he could tell he would not get much of a 'kick' out of him tonight.

"No, I am merely reminding you. That is all. Goodnight." The masked man left abruptly, leaving Pein free to fall back onto his bed. He hadn't slept solidly since he had first seen the young girl, now that she was safe… Yes… Safe and sound within the base of the Akatsuki, he was hoping that he would gain a pleasant night's sleep.

* * *

Sakura had managed to sit herself up, her head was spinning with the sudden realisation that the cloak she had awoken in previously did not belong to a poor fellow that had accidentally picked it up; but rather to a notorious Akatsuki member. She shuddered at the memory of collapsing; and the thought of just who… or what monster had taken her to that cave…

' _ **How can you call your knight in clouded armour a monster? They put you somewhere safe didn't they? They cleaned you up and bandaged your wounds… Didn't they?'**_ Her inner scolded Sakura for her impoliteness; ' _That is true… But whoever it was… was an Akatsuki member! An enemy of the leaf village!"_ Sakura thought back silently arguing with her own mind. ' _ **Yes, perhaps an enemy of the leaf village… But whoever it was possibly saved your life… Would such an evil monster do such a thing?'**_ Sakura sighed. She had to agree with her inner there, surely some-one evil and bent on creating havoc and pain all over the world would not do such a thing… Then perhaps it was some-one else that had helped her, and her first theory was correct… Then again it was all too coincidental to suddenly wake up in the clutches of the Akatsuki hideout.

The girl gently shuffled around on her bed, she pressed her dainty feet against the cold floor frigidly. Upon examining the room, she noted it was pretty homey… It was not at all a form of cell; it was a bedroom. There was a mirror, a chest of drawers, a lamp, a bathroom (also with the bare essentials) and of course a bed. The girl gently padded over to the mirror and softly tugged up her- ' _Wait, this isn't my shirt!'_ The pinkette was a gasp to see that not only was she not wearing her outfit, but she was also clean. Her hair was also slightly damp and smelt heavenly of floral scents. Someone had bathed her, patched her up and clothed her. With her already large green eyes as wide as they could be, she stared at herself, lifting up the hem of the shirt she stared at the wonderful job of bandaging that some-one had recently done.

"Not too shabby…" she quietly complimented their work.

Sakura grimaced as she lifted her left arm, one of the deeper slashes she had sustained from Sasuke was directly across her side under that arm. She could feel the tug of the butterfly stitches that, unbeknownst to her, Konan had placed over her wound. Sighing she dropped her arm to her side, and stared at her eyes in the reflection of the mirror. Her mind casted back to a little while ago when she saw a silhouette close the door of her room from the hallway. She knew who the ringed eyes belonged to, it was the Akatsuki leader known as Pein. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, to recapture the scene in her head… When she remembered his eyes, she noticed that there was something strange about the stare he gave back to her. It did not look angry, nor malevolent… The stare she received did not appear dangerous at all… His eyes simply boasted curiosity. Sakura could feel her knees weaken again. She wandered as quietly as she could back to the bed, and wrapped herself up tightly in the covers. She was desperately hoping she would awaken back in that grassy patch, to a passerby rescuing her.

* * *

Pein was mildly restless at the beginning of the night, but knowing that she was not out there… alone and wandering cluelessly around, injured; comforted him. He managed to get a good night's sleep, and woke up as soon as the sun rose… just as usual. The man showered and dressed, just as usual; and had his breakfast… also as usual. He felt content, a weight was lifted from his shoulders…He could sense that most of his members were still asleep, and with it being their day off, he wasn't going to wake them; the man simply wanted to enjoy the peace and quiet.

Whilst Pein sat quietly, contemplating his day ahead, Madara was already awake and had been for a little while longer than Pein. He made his way through the halls of the hideout and stopped outside of the newcomer's bedroom, his hand softly took ahold of the handle of the door as he let himself in. He was greeted to the sight of a slumbering pinkette, who was tightly curled into a ball. She had obviously sensed the man's presence and awoke suddenly as soon as the Uchiha stepped foot into the room. She sat up as quickly as her body allowed her, it was clear to see that she was disappointed that this whole place was not just a silly nightmare. The man decided to begin his silly 'Tobi' facade, and introduce himself to her… After all, he wanted to know exactly who his new teammate was.

"Good morning!" He exclaimed happily, Sakura's dazed eyes shone a confused expression.

"My name is Tobi! I would like to be your friend! But what is your name?!" Sakura had to blink twice at this ridiculous man before her… Was he really a member of this organisation?

"Sakura…" She uttered carefully. She could sense something about this man… Something dark and unnatural, she just couldn't pinpoint what exactly it was about him.

"Ah Sakura! What a suitable name for such a-"

"Get out." Tobi's sentence was cut short from an authoritative voice, which sounded from behind him. The man turned to face Pein, his eyes were visible through the mask, and they gloated amusement.

"As you wish!" The man hummed, to Sakura he sounded as odd as he did before; Pein however could see the look in his eyes… which boasted danger. The masked man soon left the room.

"I apologise, I hope he did not wake you". Pein spoke in a low tone. Sakura stayed silent for a moment, taking in the magnificence of the man stood before her. He was tall, pale, and muscled. He was not wearing the infamous cloak, and instead was dressed in all black ninja attire. She pondered for a second as to whether he was being polite, or as to whether he was simple saying it to break the awkward silence that was shared between them.

"He did…" She retorted quietly;

"How are your wounds?" He asked back in a similarly quiet manner.

"Fine." She lied. Pein could tell, he had seen thousands of expressions during his lifetime, her expression was a terrified and pained girl hiding behind a brave face. He approached her and watched as she nervously shuffled away, her eyes did not leave him. She was watching his every movement, she felt sick to her stomach. What was this man going to do? Kill her?

She was panicking and Pein could see. He finally reached her bed, and softly perched on the edge of it. Sakura's green orbs did not leave the man. She had balled herself up against the headboard of the bed, and the wall.

He frowned… Finally he was meeting his blossom face to face, for their first encounter… and she was terrified of him.


	7. Chapter 7

Here is chapter 7. I personally hate this chapter, but it is necessary so that I can get on with the more interesting chapters. Please bare with me.

Here we go.

* * *

 **Chapter 7 - Deal?**

There was silence between the pair, both of them gazed at each other with their eyes confiding their differences. His eyes beamed at her with bold confidence, without any fear; the prowess of a powerful leader was evident. Hers stared at him with the exact opposite. She kept herself tightly huddled in a ball, her head faced toward him, she was watching him and was aware of his every movement; every breath...it appeared as though neither of them blinked. Minutes passed and this endless competition of 'who will blink first' continued… that was until a faint growl echoed in the room. Sakura watched as a crooked smile persed the man's thin lips.

"Hungry?" He mused, glancing down at his feet as he waited for her reply. Sakura contemplated one of two possible answers; the first being ' _Would my stomach be growling if I wasn't?'_ the problem, she thought with that answer was that it may irritate him… Immensely. The second answer she would have opted for was a simple ' _Yes_ '. She pondered a moment as to whether to even answer the question at all. Pein grew tired of waiting for an answer, and instead delved into his trouser pocket, and retrieved a green apple. His arm extended toward her, and she flinched with unease. The girl eyed it for a moment before she hesitantly reached out for it. Pein felt as the tips of her fingers brushed across the palm of his hand as the apple was retrieved; they were so soft and warm… Before he could continue his thought the girl winced and sharply bought the fruit toward her chest.

"Try not to use that arm, Kunoichi. You have sustained a wound beneath it".

"I know" she seethed quietly. Wait a second… ' _How does he know about that wound?! Was he the one that… that washed me?! And dressed me?!_ ' She felt slightly embarrassed at the thought of the impressive man before her, seeing her in all her glory. Her cheeks grew rosier by the second.

The Rinnegan beholder noticed the pinkening of her cheeks, they were almost as rosy as her hair. Once again he rose his arm. This time he pressed it softly against her forehead. Sakura froze, she was stunned at his touch. Why was he touching her?! The man's hands felt cold yet partially clammy and rough against the silky smooth skin of her forehead.

"You don't feel warm. Do you feel unwell?" He asked, the pinkette felt small before him. Even his voice sounded mighty, deep and yet some-what gentle.

"N-No…" she shuddered as she felt the cold digits leave her head;

"Perhaps you're just tired then…" He sighed, glancing down again.

"Why am I here?" The young girl's voice had changed, she adjusted herself so that she was sat bolt upright, in an attempt to look and feel bigger than she actually was.

Purple rings met the green orbs once again, an amused smirk gracing the almighty man's faint lips.

"Have you seen yourself? I could not just leave death to take a hold of you now… Could I?" His tone was amused… He saw and recognised her feeble attempt to appear confident; but in his presence and the state she was in… He knew she was no real threat.

"Why not?" The girl hissed slightly,

' _It appears you've woken up on the wrong side of the bed little blossom'_ Pein speculated silently. He found her fascinating. Even in her condition; the feeble, frail girl before him was trying her best to defend her brave facade.

"Believe it or not, I mean absolutely no-one, any harm". His answer was direct, plain and simple; yet for the girl it raised many questions, and added a mad humour to the conversation.

"Oh really? I am sorry for my arrogance, but I find that very hard to believe". Sakura tried to replicate his dominant tone, failing miserably with her much more feminine pitch.

"I believe I overheard my comrade discover your name, Sakura… Is it?" Sakura's eyes widened, this criminal had just uttered her name…

"And what of it?" She questioned once again.

"Sakura, tell me… What is it that you have been led to believe the Akatsuki represent?". Sakura took a moment for the words to sink in… ' _Led to believe?! Who does he think he is?!'_

"Represent hm?" She pondered quietly for a second. "You are all S-Rank criminals, with a vendetta against the world. You bring death, destruction and chaos everywhere you go in order to _collect_ the jinchūriki's" Pein could hear the venom in her tone. Her eyes narrowed as she silently dared him to reply.

"That is not what we are trying to achieve… it is an unfortunate side affect of what we are doing to achieve our goal".

A momentary pause sounded between them, Sakura's pink eyebrow rose.

"Now I have your attention…" Pein shifted slightly on the bed, he faced the blossom as he began the long tale of how and why the Akatsuki were formed; Sakura listened with both intent and disbelief.

"So… In order to achieve our goal, we have been… as you call it, 'collecting' the tailed beasts in order to extract them and their power into the Gedō Mazō, so that I may use it in order to control the Five Great Shinobi Nations; by doing this I can prevent war… I can allow smaller villages to grow and prosper… I can protect those who need it…" Pein took a moment, he stared down to the floor. Sakura watched him… She was fascinated… He couldn't possibly want to bring peace, he couldn't possibly control all of that power… And even if he could, he would grow power hungry and want more. This man was truly mad.

"You see Sakura, I _will_ be the god of a new world. A god of a peaceful world. That is my aim".

Pein took a relieving breath. For some reason he felt as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders… Although there was no real secret, he felt relieved that the truth behind the founding and aims of the organisation was revealed to this one, pure kunoichi… He curiously felt, relieved.

"You're crazy…" The young woman spoke with a tremor in her voice.

Pein smirked, "Trust me kunoichi. Give us one week, and we will prove to you that we are not all bad; if we truly are...I'll set you free as soon as your wounds are healed. Do we have an accord?"

The cherry blossom was entirely unsure as to what to make of the situation, yet her curious side got the best of her. She wanted to know, how bad were the Akatsuki?

"Very well. One week".

The rough hand extended one final time toward her, his purple ring glistened ever so slightly in the dull light that emanated from the bare bulb above them. She carefully me his hand with hers, grasping it lightly in an agreeable shake. The deal was done, she would witness what lead the Akatsuki to believe they were truly the peacemakers. Pein savored the moment, as his soon to be new subordinate clasped his hand in her gentle palm. He would ensure she would stay, he would ensure this girl would understand and believe his methods of creating peace were authentic. He would ensure she followed the Akatsuki. The tall man rose from his perch and turned his back on her, his hand still tingled with the warm sensation her hand had left.

"I can assure you, little blossom. The only thing crazier than my method of achieving peace; is not trying to achieve peace at all".

The door closed firmly, she was not graced with another glimpse of his eyes as he left the room. She wondered… What is it she had just got herself into?

* * *

There we have it, the next chapter will be more interesting. I apologise for this chapter.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 - Fight or Flight**

Sakura sat quietly, trying to ascertain what she had just agreed to. What on Kami's earth possessed her to agree to give them a chance?! Sakura new just one thing. Nothing good was to come of this. Her eyes pondered in the low light of the room, carefully inspecting every inch of it. The room was windowless, the only way out was through the very door the mad man had been using. Sakura was known for her intelligence as well as her ninjustu. Kakashi had spend many a session training her in the art of strategizing. It was now time to put that training to use.

The kunoichi staggered to her feet once more. In order to create the perfect strategy, she knew she needed to know her surroundings. Her feet padded to the door, and carefully she placed her ear against it. She listened for a short while, to hear whether anyone was around; upon fulfilling her need to ensure the coast was clear, she gripped the door handle tightly and as quietly as she could she opened it, just a fraction, just enough for a peep outside. The coridoor was long and narrow, just as dimly lit as this dust hole in the wall they called a room. This was exactly what Sakura didn't want to see. She wanted to see twists and turns, furniture, anything that she could use to quickly hide if the need arose.

Butterflies are usually used as an expression to describe the feeling a person has when they are entirely uneasy. Sakura could honestly swear an oath, that she in fact had a whole kaleidoscope of butterflies fluttering within her ravenous stomach. The pinkete stepped out, her mind focused on but one thing: escape.

* * *

Pein was sitting quietly, reading this morning's intel and readying the various missions he would be sending his subordinates on for the upcoming week. He carefully read each report and assigned the various members to the various tasks which would be better suited for them and their skills. As the morning progressed - which felt pretty rapidly for the concentrating leader, one by one the notorious members began to emerge from their rooms. Pein found it harder and harder to concentrate as the growing number of people surrounding him began to chatter and torment each other. The ringed eyes found themselves protectively scanning the room for a certain masked man, who he trusted just as much as he trusted Zetsu to become a vegetarian. As long as he was in sight, the ginger haired man could feel a little more at ease.

There was also a feeling in Pein's stomach. It was similar to Sakura's, but this feeling was different. It was a sickly feeling, making his stomach feel tight and giddy. One could only describe this feeling as uncertain guilt. In his eyes, the pinkete was pure and innocent, something he was the entire opposite of; and once again the guilt of bringing her to this place just to fulfill his selfish need to see her again caused him to become once again distracted. He stared ominously at the masked man, fixated on him. The almighty rinegan weilder was also plotting. He realised he couldn't simply let the pinkete go free, even if she decided after the week was up that she wanted to leave; he knew the fake masked man was all too curious with his 'leaders' interest in the pinkete. Letting the lady go, would be like releasing a rabbit before a hunting dog. Pein knew Madara's sick mind would want to turn her into a sport. ' _This is a predicament_...' he thought to himself.

* * *

Small feet were scurrying across the floor, as gently and quietly as they could move. Sakura was at the end of the first two long corridors. At the end of each corridoor was a one way turn, which she had followed. On the third coridoor, there was as before the usual turn, but at the end of coridoor number three there was a difference. There was a large open archway, decorated with a flickering candle either side. The gap was dark and draughy, offering no in site as to what was inside. Her heart began to pound in her chest, there was just one thing preventing her from sprinting to the mysterious arch; and that was noise. And lots of it... She could hear loud, booming, dominant voices, echoing down the hall. The source appeared to be from a room, with the door left open, approximately half way down this hall. She stared intently at the candles, the flickering symbolised a profound movement in the air, which could in turn lead her to the outside. Sakura new that the idea of running straight to the exit sounded too easy to be true, but everything in her was urging her to try. All previous thoughts of planning were now vacant from her otherwise clever mind.

Not many people know what an item of prey feels like, when it is facing perilous danger. Usually they don't have time to think, almost every time the only thing that crosses their scared mind is the fight or flight instinct. In Sakura's case, she had to decide very quickly whether to chance it and run for what she hoped would be an escape, or whether she would stay and try and fight her way out. She had a brief moment in time to think. She thought it was highly unlikely she would be able to fight all of the Akatsuki, and escape that way... Which simply left one option. Run.

* * *

Pein could detect something, the others were too busy rambling to notice. The lava haired figure carefully rocked his sight to the opposite side of the room, and stared silently at the gloomy hall way which bordered behind the very walls he sat within. He smirked, his pearl white teeth glowing gently in the light. He knew exactly what he could sense now. Ringed eyes peered carefully into the darkness, almost daring the figure to continue in the direction it was currently steadily easing towards.

Little did he realise, was that one Akatsuki member was missing from the room, and two other bored members which were sat in the same four walls that he was, also now sensed the unfamiliar presence. A single red eye, belonging to a masked man was eagerly awaiting for the appearance he was so desperate for; in his mind the game was about to start. Another pair or eyes, -ones in which possessed no prowess, was staring casually in the same direction as the masked nin and his leader. He smirked and licked at one of the tips of his triple bladed scythe.

' _Oh blossom... why couldn't you stay put?'_ The powerful man mused to himself quietly.


End file.
